Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-02-05

She lighted candle and wrote four let
ters-one to her mother, one to DR.. Denslow,
one to Harry Glen in care of his mother and
one to the hospital steward, asking him to
mail the letters in case he did not receive any
contrary request from her before the 10th Of
January.
She was too excited TO sleep in the early
part of the night, and busted her waking
hours in packing her clothing and books and
maturing her plans.
She had much concern about her wardrobe.
Never in all the days of her village belleship
had she been SO anxious to be well dressed as
now, when about to embark upon the great
! est act of her life. She planned and schemed
as women will in such times, and rising early
the next morning she visited the stores in the
city and procured the material for superb
riding habit A cutter from fashionable
establishment in Cincinnati was found in an
orderly sergeant in one OF the convaiescent
| wards, and enough tailors responded to the
call for such artisans TO give him all the help
required By evening she was provided with
a habit that, in material and that sovereign
but indescribable quality called STYLE" was
superior ~ those worn by the Young ladies
who cantered about the streets of Nashville
on clean limbed Thoroughbred
As she stood Surveying the exquisite ''set"
Of the garment In such mirrors as she could
procure she said to herself quizzically:
Il feel now that the expedition is going to
he a grand success No woman could fail
being a heroine in such an inspiration of a
dress. There is moral support and encour
agement about a perfectly made garment
that is hardly equaled by clear conscience
! and Righteousness of motive
The next morning she came forth from her
room attired for the journey. A jaunty hat
and feather sat gracefully above her face, to
which excitement had given a striking ami
nation One trinity gauntleted hand carried
a dainty whip; the other supported the long
skirts of her riding habit as she moved through
| the ward with such newly added grace and
| beauty that the patients, to whom her ap-
pearance had become familiar, raised in their
| beds TO follow the lovely spectacle with their
| their eyes, and then turned to each other to
comment upon her beauty.
At the door she found an orderly holding a
| spirited young mare, handsome enough for a
| queens paltrey, and richly eaparisoned.
She sprang into the saddle and adjusted her
seat with the easy grace of an accomplished
horsewoman,
| A squad of 'convalescents" standing out
side and group of citizens watched her with
an admiration too palpable for her TO be I'M
| conscious of it
She smiled pleasantly upon the soldiers and
| gave them farewell bow as she turned the
mares head away, to which they responded
with cheers
Rachel cantered on, her spirits rising con
tinually.
1t was bright, crisp morning. Tennessee
| winter morning-when the air is as wine to
the blood, and sets every pulse to leaping.
Rachel's nostrils expanded, and she drank
deeply of the exhilarating draughts of noun
tain air, with Its delicious woodsy fragrance
Her steed did the same, and the hearts of both
swelled with the inspiration.
Away she sped over the firm, smooth, Muir
| fre2sboro pike, winding around hillsides and
| through valleys filed with infantry, cavalry
and artillery, through interminable masses of
wagons, herds of braying mules and crowds
of unarmed soldiers trudging back to Nash
! vile. on leave of absence, to spend the dav
seeing the sights of the historic Tennessee cap
| ltaL III the camps the soldiers were busy
| with evergreen and bunting, and the contents
of boxes received from the north. preparing
for the celebration of Christmas in something
| Ike the manner of the old days of home and
peace
Like the sweet perfume of rose-attar from
"A bundle of letters unwittingly stirred in a
drawer, rose the fragrant memory of the
last of those ChristmaSeS III Sardis before the
war, when winged on the scent of everGreens
and the merry laughter of the church decora-
tors came TO her the knowledge that she had
found Z laigment in the heart of Harry
Glen
Was memory juggling with her senses, on
WAS that really his voice she heard in com
mand, in a field to the left: She turned q
swift, startled look IN that direction, and saw
a sergeant marching large squad at quick
time to Join heavy detail His back was
toward her, but his figure and bodily carriage
were certainly those of Harry Glen. But be
fore she could make certain the squad was
merged with the detail, to the obIiteration
OF all individuality. and the whole mass dis
appeared around the hill
She rode on to the top of the rim Of hill:
which encircle that most picturesque OF
southern cities, and stopped for q moment fol
Il farewell to the stronghold of her friends
whose friendly cover she was abandoning Il
venture, weak and weapoEless, INTO the CAM
of her enemies
Above her the great black guns of a heavy
, fort pointed their sinister muZZles down the
MurtreesborO road, with fearful suggestive
ness Of the dangers to be encountered there
At the foot of the hill the Cumberland, cleal
as when it descended from its mountain:
500 miles away, flowed between its high
straight walls of limestone, spanned BY
cobweb-like bridges, and bore on its un
troubled breast great fleet of high-chim
neyed, white sided transports, and black
sullen gunboats Miles away TO her left she
saw the trains rushing into Nashville, un
rolling as they came long black and whits
ribbons against the SKY.
They're coming from the NORTH" she said
with an involuntary sigh; they're coming
from home
She touched her mares flank with the whig
and sped on.
She soon reached the outer line of guards
! by whom she was halted with q demand fol
her pass She produced the one furnished
her, which was signed by Gen. Rosencrans
, While the sergeant was inspecting it it oc
CURED to her that now was the time to begin
the role of young woman with rebellion:
proclivities.
is this the last guard line l will have tx
pasSi7 she asked
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